Curators
SOC Code: 25-4012
Curators carries a 40% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $61,770 and +7.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 15,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 40% AI exposure, Curators sits 3 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 68% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
59/100
Curators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C $61,770
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +7.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 40% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Curators in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Curators is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Average (378/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with average growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Curators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Curators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
40% Around the middle lower than 32% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Curators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Curators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Curators's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 25-4012) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Curators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Curators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
- 2. Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
- 3. Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
- 4. Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
- 5. Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
- 6. Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.
- 7. Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
- 8. Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
- 9. Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
- 10. Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Systems Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- History and Archeology
- Fine Arts
- Administration and Management
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Communications and Media
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Geography
- Customer and Personal Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Curators?
Curators has an AI exposure score of 40%, indicating a high level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Curators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Curators is projected to grow by 7.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 15,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Curators?
Key skills for Curators include Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is Master's degree.
How much do Curators earn?
The median annual wage for Curators is $61,770, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Curators?
The typical entry-level education for Curators is Master's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Curators?
Curators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Curators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (40% here).
- Bus drivers, transit and intercity · AI exposure 40%
- Community health workers · AI exposure 40%
- Credit counselors · AI exposure 40%
- Insurance sales agents · AI exposure 40%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+7.0% here).
- Dental hygienists · growth +7.0%
- Manicurists and pedicurists · growth +7.0%
- Web and digital interface designers · growth +7.0%
- Chefs and head cooks · growth +7.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
What to do with this
Use Curators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Curators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).